A former Church of England priest has been charged with 11 sexual and child cruelty offences.

Jonathan Graves, 57, of Jervis Avenue, Eastbourne, has been charged with:

  • three offences of indecent assault on a boy aged 11 to 13 between 1987 and 1990;
  • three offences of indecency with the same boy during the same period;
  • three offences of cruelty against the same boy over the same period;
  • one offence of indecent assault on an adult woman between 1994 and 1995;
  • one offence of indecent assault on another adult woman in 2002.

Graves, who worked at St Lukes Church in Stone Cross, was charged on the authority of the Crown Prosecution Service when he answered police bail on today, having first been arrested in November 2013.

He is due to appear on bail at Hastings Magistrates Court in May.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: "There are currently no allegations of recent or current offending and police emphasise that there is nothing to suggest that any young people are currently at risk."